Multi-chamber container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409695-B2
Application number	US-201214442691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2012
Priority date	Nov 19, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a multi-chamber container for dispensing flowable substances, comprising: a body having: a first storage chamber for storing a first flowable substance, a second storage chamber for storing a second flowable substance, a first inlet that fluidly connects the first storage chamber with a first outlet zone, a second inlet that fluidly connects the second storage chamber with a second outlet zone, a first member movable between a closed position, at which the first member seals the first inlet to isolate the first storage chamber from the first outlet zone, and an open position, at which the first storage chamber is in fluid communication with the first outlet zone, and a second member movable between a closed position, at which the second member seals the second inlet to isolate the second storage chamber from the second outlet zone, and an open position, at which the second storage chamber is in fluid communication with the second outlet zone; and a closure movable relative to the body between (a) a first position, at which the closure isolates the first and second outlet zones from an exterior of the container, and the first and second members are prevented from moving to their respective closed positions, and (b) a second position, at which the first and second outlet zones are in fluid communication with the exterior of the container, and the first and second members are moved to their respective closed positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-chamber container for dispensing flowable substances, comprising:
a body having:
a first storage chamber for storing a first flowable substance,
a second storage chamber for storing a second flowable substance,
a first outlet zone,
a second outlet zone,
a first inlet that fluidly connects the first storage chamber with the first outlet zone,
a second inlet that fluidly connects the second storage chamber with the second outlet zone,
a first member movable between a closed position, at which the first member seals the first inlet to isolate the first storage chamber from the first outlet zone, and an open position, at which the first storage chamber is in fluid communication with the first outlet zone, and
a second member movable between a closed position, at which the second member seals the second inlet to isolate the second storage chamber from the second outlet zone, and an open position, at which the second storage chamber is in fluid communication with the second outlet zone; and

a closure movable relative to the body between
(a) a first position, at which the closure isolates the first and second outlet zones from an exterior of the container, and the first and second members are prevented from moving to their respective closed positions, and
(b) a second position, at which the first and second outlet zones are in fluid communication with the exterior of the container, and the first and second members are moved to their respective closed positions.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the closure contacts the first and second members to prevent the first and second members from moving to their respective closed positions.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first and second members are biased to their respective closed positions.

4. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first member comprises a first piston disposed in the first inlet and the second member comprises a second piston disposed in the second inlet.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the closure is spaced from the first and second inlets.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the body comprises a separator that isolates the first outlet zone from the second outlet zone.

7. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first outlet zone is a first portion of a mixing chamber of the body and the second outlet zone is a second portion of the mixing chamber.

8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the closure has a divider and, when the closure is at the first position, the divider isolates the first portion of the mixing chamber from the second portion of the mixing chamber and, when the closure is at the second position, the first portion of the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the second portion of the mixing chamber.

9. The container of claim 8 , wherein a wall defining the mixing chamber has a groove for receiving a portion of the divider when the closure is at the first position.

10. The container of claim 8 wherein, when the closure is at the second position, the mixing chamber is free of the divider.

11. The container of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second inlets comprises a protrusion protruding into a respective one of the first and second outlet zones, the protrusion having an internal passage in fluid communication with a respective one of the first and second storage chambers, which passage opens into the respective one of the first and second outlet zones at an opening formed in the protrusion.

12. The container of claim 1 , when the closure is at the second position, the closure is attached to the body.

13. The container of claim 1 wherein, when the closure is at the second position, the closure is detached from the body.

14. The container of claim 1 , comprising a lock for locking the closure at the first position.

15. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first and second storage chambers are defined by respective first and second vessels that are squeezable by a user to cause the first flowable substance to flow into the first outlet zone and the second flowable substance to flow into the second outlet zone.

16. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first and second storage chambers are defined by respective non-unitary first and second vessels, and the first and second outlet zones are defined by a third vessel that is non-unitary with the first and second vessels and is attached to the first and second vessels.

17. The container of claim 16 , wherein the container comprises a base that is non-unitary with the first and second vessels, wherein the first and second vessels are disposed between the third vessel and the base.

18. The container of claim 17 , wherein the first and second vessels are disposed in parallel between the third vessel and the base.

19. The container of claim 1 , comprising a first apparatus configured, on operation thereof, to dispense from the first storage chamber via the first inlet into the first outlet zone a first predetermined volume of the first flowable substance, and a second apparatus configured, on operation thereof, to dispense from the second storage chamber via the second inlet into the second outlet zone a second predetermined volume of the second flowable substance.

20. The container of claim 1 , wherein the closure comprises a first cavity, a second cavity, and a divider isolating the first cavity from the second cavity.

21. The container of claim 20 wherein, when the closure is at the first position, the first outlet zone is in fluid communication with the first cavity of the closure and the second outlet zone is in fluid communication with the second cavity of the closure.

22. The container of claim 21 , wherein the first cavity has a first volume equal to or greater than the first predetermined volume, and the second cavity has a second volume equal to or greater than the second predetermined volume.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Carse Paul Donald

Classifications

• B65D47/248

  the valve being opened or closed by imparting a motion to the valve stem (B65D47/244, B65D47/245 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D81/3288

  composed of two or more separate containers joined to each other · CPC title

• B65D25/38

  Devices for discharging contents ({containers formed by folding or erecting paper blanks B65D5/72} ; incorporated in removable or non-permanently secured closure members B65D47/00; for discharging thin flat articles B65D83/08) · CPC title

• B65D81/3283 Primary

  Cylindrical or polygonal containers, e.g. bottles, with two or more substantially axially offset, side-by-side compartments for simultaneous dispensing (B65D35/22, B65D35/242, B65D81/3227, B65D81/325 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D35/22

  with two or more compartments · CPC title